Every day I get to be on calls discussing the growth and ROI of women's sports and how businesses can partner with us to help further the mission. It's quickly become a passion of mine, and although most of my schedule looks vastly different now that I'm in this full-time corporate role, I'm reminded of just how impactful our sport can be in the business world. Here's a few things that have translated for me from softball to the sales world:

"Those who hesitate negotiate." It got me thinking that aggressiveness is often the thing I find myself coaching the most, both in 1on1 instruction and in camps and clinics. I can give you all the right mechanics, but if you don't do them with INTENT and with TENACITY, it often doesn't translate to the game. Fearlessness is so often missing from young players and it's extremely difficult to coach.

It's me, Halo again. I recently took an extended break from this weekly newsletter because of a reason you may have seen on social media. I took a job in partnership sales with Athletes Unlimited in October and have been diving into all things related to sports business over the last few months.

As we wrap up, I want to touch on what I believe is the missing ingredient for a lot of really talented young athletes: CONFIDENCE. You see, I can give you the best mechanical swing the world has ever seen. I can teach you how to load, how to find the right pitch, how to have elite hand-eye coordination, how to sequence, etc. All of it can be learned if practiced effectively. However, even if you have the picture perfect swing, if you don’t have the confidence to get results in competition, it will never amount to anything.

Timing is the key to the swing and, more than often, timing is the culprit of slumps. This blog addresses how to improve ineffective timing, plus Halo’s picks for Super Regionals!

Sequencing is THE foundation of a great swing. You simply will not be a great hitter if you do not sequence properly. THAT is how vital this data is. There are style differences in terms of stance, load, hand placement, bat path, and a host of other things, but the ONE thing we found that all elite hitters do is stay in sequence consistently. All elite hitters will first fire their hips, then torso, then shoulders, then barrel. Everything works from the ground up.

If you have ever attended one of my clinics before, you have heard me say this before. I like to think of the swing in three parts (A, B, and C). Part A being my position at contact, part B being extension, and C being a full swing with a follow through. I work through all these positions in my tee work every single time I step into the cage. I do contact holds (A drills), Extension holds (B-drills), and C-Drills where I’m swinging fully but around 75-80% so I can feel my body positioning and sequencing. However, one common issue I see when I work with hitters is that the tendency for most athletes is to go straight from A (contact) to C (follow through), which creates more of an east/west swing.

Welcome back to the Common Swing Flaws series! This is #2 of 6 in my first ever hitting series of newsletters and so far, the feedback seems to be great. Each week, we are diving into some of the most common issues in the softball swing and how we can fix them. Last week was Pitch Selection – and if you missed it check it out here!

Welcome to the first installment of a series on hitting and some common issues I see when coaching young athletes. This is the first time I have done a series of blogs before and I’m excited to take a deep dive into the complicated world of the swing. This series is designed to address some of the more common issues I see, while providing feedback on what can help. It is not a cookie-cutter approach. It is not set in stone. It is meant to be fluid, flexible, and dynamic in your own journey. Let’s get rolling.

I love the phrase “Trust the Process.” I use it a lot in my own work as a professional ballplayer and coach. Show up, do the work, and trust that your results will end up what you want them to be. But is that the whole story? And should I simply ignore the results all together? No. That would be crazy. Let me explain why.

We don't want to talk about it. We're embarrassed, angry, self-conscious, and all of the sudden questioning everything about our game. What went wrong with my swing? Why does the coach think she's better than me? What did I do wrong? We got benched. Someone, at this current moment, is better than us. How will you respond?

It's inevitable. We play one of the most grueling schedules in all of sports. Traveling to tournaments every weekend, practicing a few times a week, often times year round (I don't agree necessarily with playing year round, but I'll save that rant for another day). We put our bodies through a lot, but even more so we put our minds and emotions through a lot.

We like to think that there is just one thing missing that will get us a D1 scholarship. We feel the need to go to more hitting lessons, fielding lessons, camps, clinics, sports psychologists, and tutors. We need to post our highlight video to social media so coaches will see it (which rarely works). We need to get attention. We need eyes on us. We pursue a logo and we run a race without stopping to appreciate the journey.

Without a doubt, one of the most simply complex questions I get is: "What is the one thing I need to get to the next level?"

I say it is simply complex because of a few things. One, it simple because it is a one word answer. Two, it is complex because if it really were that easy, just to do one thing, then wouldn't everyone do it? Wouldn't everyone be a Power 5 All-American? Olympian? National Champion?

As I look around me today, there is one thing I see stand out among the absolute best of the best. It's something the best of the best never do (& therefore it's something that I NEVER do because I want to be the best softball player who has ever walked the earth - dream big).

Whatever you feel guilty about or whatever adverse situation you are going through, it only goes to waste if you don't use it. You see, everything has a purpose. Find out what your current situation is teaching you.

This is the title of one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors, Ryan Holiday. I highly recommend reading any of Holidays work, but especially this one. This idea of stillness being the ability for an individual to be steady, focused, and calm in an always busy world. These are 5 ways you can find stillness in your every day life.

Trust me, you cannot expect to be the best softball player in the world at age 12, 14, 18, or even in college or the pros. You can be your best self by pacing yourself. You are competing against you. Stay the course.

The key to winning a boxing match isn't in throwing the first punch. That's the easy thing to do. Both boxers are fresh, ready to rock, and want to land something early on. They both throw and land first punches - but no one gets a win for doing so. There is little to no emphasis on the first round. All you are doing in the first round is gaining intelligence on your opponent and how they are trying to attack you. Focus on throwing the last punch instead.

The time is now for you to stop worrying about anything but competing. That's it. That is your sole focus. COMPETE. How do you do that?